Setting three priorities for the University of Melbourne – research, teaching and knowledge transfer – adds a new dimension to the link between teaching and research. The University's profile as an actively engaged, public-oriented institution will be reflected in its portfolio of knowledge transfer activities. It will develop a strategic framework to define and support the university's portfolio of knowledge transfer activities.
Move towards world-significant research
The University will increase research income from all sources by 12 percent and increase by 10 percent the amount of research funding awarded by international agencies between 2004 and 2006. Major undertakings planned for 2006 include continued investment and involvement in 'electronic research' and other initiatives, including the Australian Synchrotron, and the introduction of the new Themis research management system.
Strengthen cross-disciplinary and collaborative research
In addition, each faculty will set a five-year target for increasing research income as part of its operational performance review process with interim targets.
Build future research capacity
The university will aim to increase completion rates by 10 percent per year for the next three years and improve research supervision satisfaction rates. As part of this development of a new Melbourne model, the University will review undergraduate curricula, introduce more professional graduate programs and strengthen preparation for doctoral research.
The Melbourne Model
While in most cases many students would have taken double degrees and therefore a similar duration, the new system is likely to meet resistance in those courses where it will extend the duration at university. It will also be necessary to convince prospective students that the educational and other benefits of a redesigned curriculum are worth any additional costs. The leading American universities have no problem convincing people that the years and dollars they are asking for are well spent.
They point to the quality of the educational experience and to clear evidence that graduates of these institutions get better jobs and higher salaries than those who study elsewhere. It is therefore critical that the teaching experience in Melbourne is unparalleled in Australia (see section 2.1 on page 20). The university has already begun to raise this issue with policy makers, and should strongly advocate its position in 2006.
It is likely that new general undergraduate programs will be introduced in parallel, so that students can make clear decisions while ensuring that individual disciplines are not penalized by the loss of load from other faculties. If necessary, independent external experts will be engaged to support the work of the curriculum committee.
The Melbourne Experience
To facilitate learning about other cultures, the Melbourne Experience will feature increasing numbers of students participating in exchange and study abroad programs, particularly at U21 institutions (for which the University will aim to increase the number of participating students by 80). Finally, the University will also strive for more active recognition of the presence of a diverse international cohort of students to promote cross-cultural engagement among students. Following the introduction of Voluntary Student Unionism, the University will guarantee provision of core student services and facilitate the availability of the full range of other student services.
The university will also build on the student services currently available, including expanded support for the transition from university to employment. Overall, the Melbourne Experience Committee will continue to focus on developing a university community that attracts domestic and international students and focuses on the campus. This may include supporting self-selected groups of students with common interests (for example, students with children).
The University will also strive to achieve high levels of satisfaction with the implementation of its new learning management system, Blackboard, and the improved student management system and portal.
Ensuring access for the best and brightest
Knowledge transfer is a direct, two-way interaction between the University and its external communities, involving the development, exchange and application of knowledge and expertise for mutual benefit. The University's communities range from its neighbors in the surrounding suburbs and CBD, in the Melbourne metropolitan and Victorian region from which so many of its students come, to national and international communities. To be effective, knowledge transfer activities must shape and shape the University's research and teaching priorities, as well as be informed by active social and economic engagement.
As a publicly inspired university, Melbourne will serve external communities best through selective engagement where it has particular contributions to make and when the benefits are compelling. The development of the university's strategic framework for knowledge transfer will aim to provide intellectual leadership in this area.
Developing a strategic framework for knowledge transfer
Embed knowledge transfer in the core work of the University
Transform Melbourne’s social and economic engagement
The University will not only encourage a public intellectual profile for its members but will actively support this. Training and mentoring opportunities will be offered to academics to develop their skills in media engagement and writing for non-academic audiences (including through the University's Writing Centre). In 2005, the University decided to invest more in commercialization, bring all its commercialization activities into the new DVC (Innovation and Development) portfolio and develop a new intellectual property policy.
A strategy for more effective engagement with partner organizations in business, government and others will be developed to help inform, support and implement the University's vision. In particular, a strong focus on scholarships will support the university's goal of a significantly higher proportion of students receiving scholarship support in the future. To make a convincing argument it will have to be very clear what the university stands for, and a priority for 2006 will be building a cohesive brand identity.
In order to realize the advantages of research-led teaching, the teaching profile will be largely driven by research focus, and in return the university's combined research and teaching profile will shape the activities we carry out in the knowledge transfer work. This section sets out the main areas which will require detailed consideration as the university.
Internationalisation
Student equity and access
Communicating Melbourne’s strategic direction 4. People
Infrastructure and knowledge management 6. Fundraising
Resourcing
University Administration 9. The University’s planning cycle
To ensure that the best students are admitted, the university would ideally be able to operate blindly to financial conditions. To get closer to this goal, there will be a strong focus on bursary fundraising and on lobbying for policy change from national government (in particular to give postgraduate students access to Commonwealth support, including Austudy and Youth Allowance). While some Melbourne Model programs will offer guaranteed entry to high-achieving school students (depending on undergraduate performance), a graduate school approach also allows for the abolition of graduate examinations, widening the selection pool for professional education based on academic performance at undergraduate level and creating lateral pathways to professional education for well-qualified candidates from other institutions.
A Policy and Advocacy Working Group, chaired by the Vice-Chancellor, will be established to review current financial support and undergraduate and graduate admissions policies (see Appendix 4 for terms of reference and duties). To achieve this we will need to be very clear about what the university stands for. A Senior Marketing Manager will be appointed in early 2006 to lead and coordinate activities in these areas across the University.
In 2006, the University will also prioritize building a coherent brand identity, presenting consistent ideas and images to communicate what the University stands for and position it for the future. We need to explain and persuade, but also listen and modify to ensure the Melbourne Model works in the interests of students, staff, industry and the community.
People
Infrastructure and knowledge management
Fundraising
To achieve this, the University will first need to invest significantly in staff, training, systems and programs. The launch of a major fundraising campaign will be the primary focus in 2006, to secure funding for scholarships and research. Over the period up to 2008, the aim must continue to be to progressively increase fee-based income from domestic and international undergraduate and postgraduate programmes; continue to increase research income; continue to diversify the revenue base; and continue to win income through competitive bidding, such as from the Government's Learning and Teaching Achievement Fund.
In the long run it should be assumed that income growth will be more in line with the economy. However, increasing fee income must remain a priority, as the target will be to increase by 100 the number of first-time students enrolling in domestic fee-paying countries in 2006; and the target to increase revenue from all sources between 2004 and 2006 by 12 percent. Signs of strength represented by a strong operating surplus each year, a growing investment portfolio and maintaining the AA+ credit rating will continue to be the objectives of the University's financial management.
With much of the University's income tied to specific purposes, success in containing costs, raising discretionary income and accessing cost-effective loans will provide greater scope for strategic spending. As faculties work with the Curriculum Committee to plan their transition to the Melbourne Model, it will be essential to combine a compelling academic case with a rigorous business case for each course or programme.
University administration
The University’s planning cycle
The Research and Research Training Quality Working Group will report through the Research and Research Training Committee to both the Academic Committee and the Planning and Budget Committee and. The Knowledge Transfer Working Group, chaired by the DVC (Innovation and Development), will report to the Council and the Vice-Chancellor through the Planning and Budget Committee. 2006 Research Quality Review - see Terms of Reference of the Research and Research Training Working Group, Appendix Four.
Develop systems and protocols for working on knowledge transfer activities within the university and beyond. The Task Force will make recommendations by the end of September at the latest to improve the quality and impact of university research and research training. In the first half of 2006, the Taskforce will review the university's current portfolio of knowledge transfer activities and develop a new strategic framework.
Research and Research Training Quality Task Force/Knowledge Transfer Task Force Create a dedicated chair focusing on socio-techno-. Research and research training Quality Task Force/VP (Human Resources) Develop an enterprise system that categorizes and. Make better use of the University's cultural collections Knowledge Transfer Task Force Integrate cultural and recreational campus facilities.
Knowledge Transfer Task Force/Master Plan Group/Melbourne Experience Committee Develop the campus as a 24/7 zone Master Plan Group/Melbourne Experience.
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